1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a foldable play yard with improved locking and folding mechanisms and, more particularly, to improved hinges for center fold play yards and other applications.
2. Description Of The Background Art
A wide variety of play yards, previously referred to as play pens, have been designed, developed and commercialized for many years. Such play yards have frequently been foldable, being of the knock-down type. These foldable play yards featured various types of frame assemblies with various types of locking and folding mechanisms including hinges rendering their folding and unfolding of varying degrees of complexity.
Types of foldable play yards are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,688,280 and 4,739,527 to Kohus and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,499 to Wren. According to those disclosures, the lower frame structure radiates outwardly from a central hub. Types of frame structures with central hubs for use in other than play yards are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,197,791 to Eddy; U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,034 to Finlayson and U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,482 to Beavers.
Locking and folding mechanisms which include positive securement features are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 663,857 to Browder and U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,328 to Shone.
Lastly, other foldable play yards with features of interest are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,524 to Carlo; U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,735 to Saint; U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,318 to Cirillo and U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,026 to Kassai.
While the prior art generally, and the above referred to patents in particular, disclose various features which might find utility in foldable play yards and hinges, none disclose the structure by which applicant's play yard may be readily assembled and disassembled by an operator and positively secured in position for more safe, efficient, convenient and economical use.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved play yard with a collapsible frame assembly with safe and easy to use hinges which overcome the inadequacies of the background art and which constitutes an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of play yards and hinges generally.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved play yard wherein all operating components including stops are internal to their rotating and pivoting hinge.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide hinges wherein there are no pinch points which would allow a dangerous condition to exist.
It is a further object of the present invention to construct a play yard with a minimum number of parts required for operation to improve simplicity, efficiency, convenience and cost.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to more safely, efficiently, conveniently and economically fabricate and use hinges as for foldable play yards.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or by modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.